Applications Due by June 12, 2017, 11:59 pm. We know that many of you are busy trying to finish up the work while facing a crazy deadline. Here are some last minute tips:

Technical problems

Prequalification/Document Vault. To those of you who are still trying to upload everything into your Document Vault: If you get a message that says that your Document Vault was sent back for modifications, that something is wrong with it. Check it out the report and fix whatever is missing or incomplete. Too many people are just resubmitting it “as is”. The Grants Gateway staff is working overtime to try to prequalify everyone who completes the work. Please don’t waste their time.

Faulty Investment Justification template. Our friends in Washington, DC initially sent Albany a problematic file. If you downloaded a form Monday morning and are having trouble entering information, simply download another here.

Mention mail, telephonic or electronic threats, negative graffiti or vandalism at your facility or those nearby.

If your risk assessment doesn’t cite the key threats, note that the updated National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin concludes that “specific attack tactics have included the use of vehicle ramming, small arms, straight-edged blades or knives, and homemade explosives, as well as other acts such as taking hostages.”

Tell a story.

Vulnerability. Your risk assessment informs you about what can go wrong. Your risk assessment should itemize your vulnerability. For example: “The main entrance, fire egress doors and internal doors will not withstand a forced entry attack or limit unauthorized persons from accessing interior areas of the building” or “Electronic access control systems are not utilized to support authorized-only accessibility within and throughout the building and the system does not have an emergency lockdown feature. Much of the building is interconnected and once entry has been made into the building, an attacker can reach most other areas of the facility.” Choose to address your high priority vulnerabilities with this grant.

Target hardening. Your improvements must address identified threats or vulnerabilities. So, using the “Door” vulnerability the recommendation is: “To limit unauthorized persons from pushing in and/or breaking through the main entrance, it is recommended that these doors and their related framings, hinges, closing hardware, glass panels, walls, ceiling and locking systems be modified to be forced entry resistant. The installation and proper use of impact resistant doors might deter an attack, might deny an intruder entry, should delay his/her entry, thereby mitigating the injuries and damage from an attack.” The second section of Target Hardening requires the AEL code and description (14SW-01-DOOR | Doors and Gates, Impact Resistant), a simple reference to your vulnerability section (e.g., Vulnerable Doors), and a cost estimate.

Costs. You don’t have to get bids during the application process. However, if you are awarded a grant and find that you need to modify your plan you must receive permission from NYS DHSES and they must have it approved by DHS.

Impact. Confused about “measurable outputs and outcomes”? See our tips or our webpage.

Finishing up

Don’t wait for the last minute! If you have questions (If you have a problem: DHSES can be reached at 1-866-837-9133 or Grant.Info@dhses.ny.gov) you might not be able to get an answer right away due to the onrush of questions. Allocate enough time for things to go wrong.

Use the E-Grants tutorial. We open the E-Grants document in one window and the tutorial in another. Then, we simultaneously scroll through the tutorial and the E-Grants forms and fill in the blanks with whatever the tutorial recommends.

Checklist. Sorry, we’re too busy to produce our fancy checklist this year. The RFA explains “To be considered for funding, eligible nonprofit organization must submit a complete application using the State’s Electronic Grants (E-Grants) System (Click on the link if you don’t have an E-Grants Registration account).

Investment Justification Template (Submitted as an attachment in E-Grants)

Contact Information (Section of E-Grants)

Proposed Project Workplan Information (Section of E-Grants)

Budget Request Information (Section of E-Grants)

Certification to Accept the Assurances (Section of E-Grants)

Status History report from Grants Gateway website showing prequalification status (Submitted as an attachment in E-Grants)

Signed and notarized Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire (Submitted as an Attachment in E-Grants)

Mission Statement (Submitted as an attachment in E-Grants)

Threat and/or vulnerability assessment, if installing equipment at more than one location, assessments must be submitted for each location (Submitted as an attachment in E-Grants)

Nonprofit Security Grant Program 2017

June 3, 2017 |

This year DHS is providing $25,000,000 for target hardening activities to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack and located within one of the specific UASI-designated urban areas (click here for the complete list).

New York’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Request for Applications (RFA) is posted here. The due date in NY is Monday, June 12, 2017. Yes, everyone knows that this is a crazy schedule, but there’s no choice.

If your Grants Gateway Document Vault is not pre-certified (or well under way) you are running out of time. Organizations that are not pre-certified cannot apply for the grants. Click here for more information.

A PDF of the Investment Justificationis available here. The actual spreadsheet will be available on the NY DHSES webpage. You will notice that the questions remain the same, but that there are some formatting improvements.

The New York State Hate Crimes grant applications will probably be released towards the end of the month. As soon as we see the RFA we will publish additional materials to help qualified groups apply for that grant.

Want more? Check out this workshop presented by David Fields of the New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP).

Prequalification

NY nonprofits should register at https://grantsgateway.ny.gov/ &
complete their Document Vault . See JCRC-NY’s additional information at: http://www.jcrcny.org/document-vault-faqs/ .If your nonprofit was previously prequalified, you will still have to update certain documents or your document vault is expired. Check our your document vault for more information.

NY nonprofit grants webpage

If you’ve never applied before, click here for New York’s nonprofit webpage, with the E-grant application. If you have an existing account (and remember the
username/password), you’re fine.

Risk assessment

You can do conduct a self-assessment, have your local police do a crime prevention survey or get an independent professional. Find guidance and contacts here and JCRC-NY’s guide to security consultants here. There are some good self-assessment tools available. Check out:

Download the PDF of the 2017 Investment Justification here to see what the application looks like. Make sure to submit your information on the 2017 forms are released.

Threat scan

Stymied by the “Risk” section of the Investment Justification? Download our Selective Threat Scan for documentation and help with the “Threat” and “Consequences” questions. You will need an assessment to identify your vulnerabilities.

NY State funding for nonprofit security.

This year’s New York State budget included funding for “safety and security projects at nonpublic schools, community centers and day care facilities at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs or mission.” Obviously, the details are still pending.

Click here to subscribe to the JCRC-NY Security and Emergency Preparedness Alert list, which will notify you about the details when they become available.

We now expect FEMA will release the FY 2017 Nonprofit Security Grant Program guidelines next Friday, June 2nd to the states. New York’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services has been working hard and they will have their Request for Applications (RFA) ready ASAP. However, they must have their documents approved through the various channels as required by NY State law. If all goes well the RFA will be available soon after the federal guidance.

The application deadline in NY depends on the DHS/FEMA deadline. Remember, they have to score the applications and comply with federal guidelines for submission. That takes time, especially when they must process 200 or so applications. Please don’t contact us to ask about the due date… no one will know it before DHS/FEMA publishes their guidance. Expect a quick turnaround.

The New York State Hate Crimes grant applications will be released within the same timeframe. As soon as we see the RFA we will publish additional materials to help qualified groups apply for that grant.

NY applicants: If your Grants Gateway Document Vault is not prequalified (or well under way) you are running out of time. Organizations that are not prequalified will not be allowed to submit for the grants. If you previously prequalified, certain documents may need to be updated. Check your Document Vault to verify that it is up to date. Click here for more information.

As many have learned, the grant guidelines make “Organization type” a factor in the scoring. Our attempts to formally change the guidelines language faltered during the change of administration. We were advised by House Homeland Security Chairman McCaul’s team to neutralize this arbitrary scoring measurement self-identify as “Ideology-based/Spiritual/Religious”. This would apply whether your organization is a religious corporation or simply religiously-affiliated (e.g., JCC, Jewish Family Service, etc.)

NY nonprofit grants webpage

Click here for New York’s nonprofit webpage. When available it will have the RFA (application package), all of the forms necessary for the submission of your application and the E-grant application and tutorial. (If you have an existing account — and remember the
username/password — you don’t have to reapply.)

Risk assessment

You can do conduct a self-assessment, have your local police do a crime prevention survey or get an independent professional. Find guidance and contactshere and JCRC-NY’s guide to security consultants here. There are some good self-assessment tools available. Check out:

Many crime prevention surveys do not give the information necessary to complete the “Threat” section of the Investment Justification? Collect information specific to your organization (e.g., phone threats, graffiti) to document your threat and then download our Selective Threat Scan for documentation and help with the “Threat” and “Consequences” questions.

Investment Justification

Download the 2016 Investment Justification here to see what the application looks like. Make sure to submit your information on the 2017 forms are released.

April 28, 2017 | The timing of the 2017 applications is still up in the air. The House voted 382 to 30 and the Senate unanimously approved a bill to keep the government open until May 5th. This will give the negotiators time to finalize a longer-term deal that would fund the government through the end of the fiscal year in September. There can be no grant programs without a budget.

Once the budget bill is signed by the President, the US Department of Homeland should post its its guidance within a week or two and the NY Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services releasing its Request for Applications soon thereafter. Assuming that the budget passes next week, don’t be surprised if the application package is due at the end of May or the beginning of June.

So the turnaround may be very quick. We don’t anticipate any significant changes in the application process and most of the requirements of the application process can be met before the deadline. Our advice is to get started now!Here’s what you can do.

NY nonprofits should register at https://grantsgateway.ny.gov/ &
complete their Document Vault . See JCRC-NY’s additional information at: http://www.jcrcny.org/document-vault-faqs/ .If your nonprofit was previously prequalified, you will still have to update certain documents or your document vault is expired. Check our your document vault for more information.

NY nonprofit grants webpage

If you’ve never applied before, click here for New York’s nonprofit webpage, with the E-grant application. If you have an existing account (and remember the
username/password), you’re fine.

Risk assessment

You can do conduct a self-assessment, have your local police do a crime prevention survey or get an independent professional. Find guidance and contactshere and JCRC-NY’s guide to security consultants here. There are some good self-assessment tools available. Check out:

Download the 2016 Investment Justification here to see what the application looks like. Make sure to submit your information on the 2017 forms are released.

Threat scan

Stymied by the “Risk” section of the Investment Justification? Download our Selective Threat Scan for documentation and help with the “Threat” and “Consequences” questions. You will need an assessment to identify your vulnerabilities.

NSGP 2017

The timing of the 2017 applications is still up in the air. We won’t be able to determine the due date for the applications until the US Department of Homeland Security posts its guidance. They will only do so once there is a federal budget.

We don’t anticipate any significant changes in the application process and most of the requirements of the application process can be met before the deadline. Our advice is to get started now!Here’s what you can do.